Closing with Kucera: Cedar Rapids Kennedy junior takes state lead in saves, finishes 9-8 Class 4A substate win over Cedar Rapids Washington

CEDAR RAPIDS – Closer. Stopper. Go-to guy.

Phrase it any way you want but Deacon Kucera has carved a niche for Cedar Rapids Kennedy. The junior left-handed reliever has made a habit of securing Cougar victories this season.

Kucera filled the role again Friday, pitching the final inning for his eighth save this season in Kennedy’s 9-8 win over Cedar Rapids Washington in a Class 4A Substate 3 first-round high school baseball game at Mount Mercy’s Plaster Athletic Complex. Kennedy advance to host the winner between Burlington and Muscatine in Monday’s substate semifinal.

The Cougars (25-12) survived the back-and-forth battle with the Warriors (12-25).

“We knew how good they were,” Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer said. “We know how well-coached they are. We looked at the ability that wasn't exactly translating over to the statistics. What we saw today was not a surprise.”

Kucera helped secure the victory. Despite allowing a run, Kucera stranded the tying run on base and took sole possession of third on the Cougars’ single-season saves list. He also surpassed Ames’ Max Martin for the state lead in saves.

“I didn’t really know,” Kucera said. “I just got up there and did my thing. I filled the (strike) zone and forced them to hit the ball.”

Kucera said he maintained the same approach that has made him successful all season. He is comfortable in the post, serving as a closer in multiple age groups and levels.

“He wants to be in that position,” Hoyer said. “He’s a competitor and that helps.”

Kucera was unfazed in a tense situation, facing Caiden Buonadonna, who ranks second in the state with 13 home runs and represented the go-ahead run. A pop out ended the game.

“I try to stay as calm as I can every time,” Kucera said. “Throw strikes and think back to the bullpen when I was throwing strikes (warming up). Stay as cool as I can.”

Kucera went 1-for-1 with two walks and two runs scored. He smacked a leadoff triple in the fifth and scored on Max Leno’s groundout, giving Kennedy an 8-7 lead.

Washington took a 3-0 lead in its opening at-bat, starting the seesaw competition. Buonadonna opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly that drove in Brock Davis. Aaron Butikofer followed with an RBI groundout and Camden Merino added a run-scoring single.

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Kennedy received a spark from Leo Koester. The sophomore first baseman step to the plate after Kennedy drew three straight walks to load the bases. Koester delivered an opposite-field triple to left field that landed just out of the reach of a lunging defender.

“I got something I liked middle to away and just put a good swing on it,” Koester said. “Luckily, it got down.

“Off the bat, I definitely thought it was a sac fly but luckily it found some turf.”

Kucera, Leno and Connor Whannel raced home to tie the game. Koester scored on Ty Donels’ sacrifice fly for a 4-3 edge. Kennedy added two more in the third.

“It was huge that we could come back,” Hoyer said. “Anytime Buonadonna takes the ball, he's capable of striking out 12, 13 or 14 guys. We knew runs would be really, really hard to come by.

“(Koester) couldn’t have placed it any better for us. That kind of got things rolling for us.”

The dogfight was on. Washington scored four in the fourth, getting a three-tun double from Isaac Hotchkiss to reclaim a 7-6.

Donels walked to start the fourth, advanced on an errant pickoff throw, tagged to reach third and scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

After Kucera’s go-ahead run, Colton Duerling, who had three hits, singled and scored on a wild pitch, which proved to be the difference.

“I thought we competed all day,” Koester said. “We got down a couple times but we battled all the way through and competed. That’s a steppingstone and we know we can do it going forward. It’s definitely good for us.”

Hotchkiss led Washington with three hits. Henry Schuster and Trey Iranzi had two hits apiece. Shuster and Davis scored twice for the Warriors.

“We had a chance at the end there,” Washington Coach Scott Brune said. “We had the guy we want up with a chance to take the lead. They executed some pitches on their side and took advantage of our mistakes.

“We gave them all we can handle today.”

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